About These Examples

The photos below are from a Sitka blacktail deer with a 90 lb hanging (carcass) weight.
Size, shape, and yield vary based on the animal, season, and shot placement — these are representative examples, not guarantees.

Customers who choose primarily steaks can typically expect a small number of packages from each major cut rather than a large total count.

While exact results vary by animal and preferences, a steak-forward order often includes:

• Backstrap: ~2–3 packages
• Sirloin Tip: ~2–3 packages
• Top Round: ~2–3 packages
• Bottom Round: ~1–2 packages
• Eye of Round: ~1 package

This is completely normal for Sitka blacktail deer and other similarly sized animals, where the meat is spread across many small, lean muscles rather than a few large cuts.

Backstraps

On Sitka blacktail deer, cutting thick steaks often results in small medallions rather than the large, steakhouse-style portions many people imagine. To keep the cut versatile and satisfying, we leave the backstrap slightly wider, giving you more flexibility in how it’s prepared at home.

This approach allows the backstrap to work well as-is, or be butterflied, wrapped, tenderized, or portioned further depending on preference.

  • Untrimmed

    7 lbs

  • Trimmed

    3.9 lbs

Tenderloins

Tenderloins are naturally small, tender muscles located inside the body cavity.
After trimming, they become clean, delicate cuts best suited for quick cooking.

Because of their size, they’re typically left whole rather than portioned.

  • Untrimmed

    1 lb

  • Trimmed

    0.8 lb

Hindquarter Primals

These cuts come from the hindquarter and can be prepared whole as a roast, sliced into steaks, cubed into stew meat, or utilized for further processing.

When cut into steaks, portions are typically smaller — which works well for:

  • quick meals
  • marinating
  • pan cooking

The photos show both options so you can visualize the difference.

Sirloin Tip

AKA - The "football". Sirloin tip is a lean, flavorful hindquarter cut composed of multiple muscles. On smaller deer, those muscles are left together, which keeps the cut versatile but means steaks will include natural connective tissue. It performs best as a roast or prepared with methods that tenderize.

Top Round

Top Round is a clean, lean hindquarter cut known for its versatility. It can be kept whole or portioned into steaks, and performs well across a wide range of cooking styles when sliced and prepared with the grain in mind.

Bottom Round

Bottom Round is a lean, dense hindquarter cut with a strong grain. It can be left whole as a roast or cut into steaks, but because of its structure, steak portions are typically small. This cut performs best when cooked whole, sliced thin, or prepared using methods that support tenderness.

Eye of Round

Eye of Round is a long, lean hindquarter muscle that we usually package together and leave whole. Keeping these muscles intact gives customers the most flexibility — they can be cooked as a small roast, portioned into steaks, butterflied, or cut down further at home depending on preference.

Stew Meat

Stew meat is often assumed to be leftover trimmings or tough cuts.

That’s not how we do it.

Our stew meat is carefully trimmed, with minimal to no sinew, silver skin, or excess fat.

Putting It All Together: Tools to Help You Plan